The present invention relates to apparatus and method for stripping the outer jacket from the end of a shielded flat cable and for slitting the shield so it can be folded back for termination to a connector shield.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,575 discloses a modular plug having a shield to protect against interference and static discharge at the interface with a shielded flat cable. Such a plug is sold by AMP Incorporated as its Shielded Data Link or SDL connector. Its primary usage is in computers, computer peripherals, video games, point of sale equipment, and process control equipment. To prepare the cable for termination, the outside insulative jacket at the end of the cable is stripped away and the shield is rolled or folded back against the outside jacket where it contacts an extension of the connector shield in the cable receiving opening of the plug.
A known method of preparing a shielded flat cable for termination entails first removing the outside jacket proximate the end of the cable using a stripping tool such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,478. The exposed conductive shield is then cut manually on opposite edges of the cable and folded back against opposed flat surfaces of the cable. This method, while effective, is quite time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,487 discloses apparatus employing rotary cutting blades to simultaneously slit both the outside jacket and the shield on opposed edges of a cable, and subsequently removing the jacket from opposed sides in two slugs. Variations in thickness of the outside jacket often lead to cutting well into the insulation around the conductors inside the foil, which is not acceptable in many applications.